5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Starting a Business.

Have you always had a desire to become an entrepreneur, or did a particular event in your life spark this dream?

Personally, I never really saw being an entrepreneur in my cards, but I did know that I wanted to be in charge. In fact, I didn't even know that being an entrepreneur was a possibility until I stumbled upon it. And now, here I am, almost a decade later, working on my 10th year in business with 42 employees on my payroll.

Running a small business is an incredible experience, but it's also incredibly challenging. Most people don't understand the amount of hard work, dedication, and sacrifices that go into it. The sleepless nights, the arguments with spouses about the limited time left in the day, and the emotional ups and downs are just a few examples. Nevertheless, I was determined to pursue my dream, and I knew precisely what I wanted to achieve and what it would take to get there.

When I started my company there were 5 questions I had to ask myself. 5 questions that I needed to address before I could make the decision to take the plunge.

Here they are.

Does this feed my soul?

If you truly want to be successful you have to ask yourself if this will feed your soul. I don't necessarily mean the work itself but all of it. The work, the outcome, your purpose. At the end of each and every day will you be able to remember why you are in it. Why you initially said yes and keep pushing forward?

Can I sustain life while I grow?

My answer was truly no. But I stepped out on a limb and went for it. I knew that there was no way that the Lord was going to put something on my heart the way he did and not see it through! This is not always the answer so make sure before you jump that you are going to make it or there's something or someone there to catch you.

Can I handle failure?

Failure was not an option for me. This. Was. It. Do or die. I knew that the rewards far exceeded the risks for me and that if it didn't work we could bounce back.

Where will I be handling my business?

For me, I was able to start my business right out of my home. I didn't need an office in the beginning. However, I grew so fast that after 5 months I found myself in need of a dedicated space so that I could hire my first employee. Having no clue what the Lord had in mind for me I knew that I couldn't get stuck in a long lease. I ended up in a high-rise building so that I could easily upgrade to a larger office as needed without needing to break my lease.

We moved 3 times in that building before finally moving on.

What makes me different than the competition?

What is going to make you successful? Why are people going to want to come to you over the already-established competition? Just because you have a passion for something doesn't mean people will come running. What are you going to do that will drive people to you over the competition? Is it pricing? Service? Materials?

If you can answer all these questions and still feel excited about the idea of starting your very own business, then I only have one thing to say. GO GET 'EM TIGER! You've got this, and I believe you can make it happen.